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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap.!P..y Copyright No. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



A GENTLE HEART 



/BY 

J. R. MILLER, D.D. 

AUTHOR OF "THE BUILDING OF CHARACTER," "THINGS TO LIVE FOR, 
" THE BLESSING OF CHEERFULNESS," ETC. 



The gentle minde by gentle deeds is knowne 

Spenser 



AUG r 3l 1891 



NEW YORK: 46 East 14TH Street 

THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY 

BOSTON : 100 Purchase Street 






**v 



Copyright, 1896, 
;y Thomas y. Crowbll & Compart. 



n-U)f/ 



C. J. l'ETERli & SON, TVPOUKAl'IIF-RS, BOSTON. 



The battle was over. Two mighty armies had 
met in terrific conflict, and the earth had quivered 
beneath the shock. Great destinies had been 
decided. 

After the battle, gentle women came upon the 
field, and went quietly and quickly among the 
wounded and dying with water and wine and food, 
and words of cheer and kindness. 

There was diviner power in the ministry of 
these angels of comfort who came after the battle, 
when all was still, than in the awful force of the 
battle itself. 

We are strong only as we are gentle. Gentle- 
ness is the power of God working in the world. 

J. R. M. 
Philadelphia. 



Thy gentleness hath made me great. 



The Lord's servant must . . . be gentle towards all. 

St. Paul. 



He shall not cry aloud, nor lift up his voice, 

Nor cause it to be heard in the street. 

The bruised reed shall he not break, 

And the glimmering flax shall he not quench. 

He was so tender with fragile things, 
He saw the sparrow with broken wings. 



A GENTLE HEART. 



Gentleness is a beautiful quality. It is es- 
sential to all true character. Nobody admires 
ungentleness in man or woman. When a man is 
harsh, cold, unfeeling, unkind, rude and rough in 
his manner, no one speaks of his fine spirit. 
When a woman is loud-voiced, dictatorial, petu- 
lant, given to speaking bitter words and doing un- 
kindly things, no person is ever heard saying of 
her, " What a lovely disposition she has ! " She 
may have many excellent qualities, and may do 
much good, but her ungentleness mars the beauty 
of her character. 

No man is truly great who is not gentle. Cour- 
age and strength and truth and justness and 
righteousness are essential elements in a manly 
character ; but if all these be in a man and gentle- 
ness be wanting, the life is sadly flawed. We 
might put the word gentleness into St. Paul's 
5 



6 A GENTLE HEART. 

wonderful sentences and read them thus : " If I 
speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but 
have not gentleness, I am become sounding brass, 
or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of 
prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowl- 
edge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove 
mountains, but have not gentleness, I am nothing. 
And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, 
and if I give my body to be burned, but have not 
gentleness, it profiteth me nothing." 

A beautiful legend says that one day the angel 
of the flowers — the angel whose charge it is to 
care for the adorning of the flowers — lay and 
slept beneath the shade of a rose-bush. Awaking 
from his sweet repose refreshed, he whispered to 
the rose, — 

" O fondest object of my care, 
Still fairest found where all are fair ; 
For the sweet shade thou gavest me 
Ask what thou wilt, 'tis granted thee.'' 

The rose requested that another grace might be 
given to it. The angel thought in silence what 
grace there was in all his gifts and adornments 
which the rose had not already. Then he threw 
a veil of moss over the queen of the flowers, and a 



A GENTLE HEART. 7 

moss-rose hung its head before him, most beauti- 
ful of all roses. If any Christian, even the Christ- 
liest, would pray for a new charm, an added grace 
of character, it may well be for gentleness. This 
is the crown of all loveliness, the Christliest of 
all Christly qualities. 

The Bible gives us many a glimpse of gentle- 
ness as an attribute of God. We think of the 
law of Moses as a great collection of dry statutes, 
referring to ceremonial observances, to forms of 
worship, and to matters of duty. This is one of 
the last places where we would look for anything 
tender. Yet he who goes carefully over the chap- 
ters which contain these laws comes upon many 
a bit of gentleness, like a sweet flower on a cold 
mountain crag. 

We think of Sinai as the seat of law's stern- 
ness. We hear the voice of thunderings, and we 
see the flashing of lightnings. Clouds and dark- 
ness and all terribleness surround the mountain. 
The people are kept far away because of the aw- 
ful holiness of the place. No one thinks of hear- 
ing anything gentle at Sinai. Yet scarcely even 
in the New Testament is there a more wonderful 
unveiling of the love of the divine heart than 
we find among the words spoken on that smoking 



8 A GENTLE HEART. 

mountain. " And the Lord passed by before him, 
and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God full 
of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and 
plenteous in mercy and truth ; keeping mercy 
for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgres- 
sion and sin." 

There is another revealing of divine gentle- 
ness in the story of Elijah at Horeb. A great 
and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke 
in pieces the rocks — but the Lord was not in 
the wind. After the storm there was an earth- 
quake, with its frightful accompaniments — but 
the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then a 
fire swept by — but the Lord was not in the fire. 
After the fire there was heard a soft whisper 
breathing in the air, — a still, small voice, a sound 
of gentle stillness. And that was God. God is 
gentle. With all power, power that has made 
all the universe and holds all things in being, 
there is no mother in all the world so gentle as 
God is. 

Gentleness being a divine quality is one which 
belongs to the true human character. We are 
taught to be perfect as our Father in heaven is 
perfect; if Ave would be like God, we must be 
gentle. 



A GENTLE HEART. 9 

This world needs nothing more than it needs 
gentleness. All human hearts hunger for tender- 
ness. "We are made for love — not only to 
love, but to be loved. Harshness pains us. Un- 
gentleness touches our sensitive spirits as frost 
touches the flowers. It stunts the growth of 
all lovely things. 

"We naturally crave gentleness. It is like a 
genial summer to our life. Beneath its warm, 
nourishing influence beautiful things in us grow. 

Then there always are many people who have 
special need of tenderness. "We cannot know 
what secret burdens many of those about us are 
carrying, what hidden griefs burn like fires in 
the hearts of those with whom we mingle in our 
common life. Not all grief wears the outward 
garb of mourning ; sunny faces ofttimes veil 
heavy hearts. Many people who make no audi- 
ble appeal for sympathy yet crave tenderness — 
they certainly need it, though they ask it not — 
as they bow beneath their burden. There is no 
weakness in such a yearning. We remember how 
our Master himself longed for expressions of love 
when he was passing through his deepest experi- 
ences of suffering, and how bitterly he was dis- 
appointed when his friends failed him. 



10 A GENTLE HEART. 

Many a life goes down in the fierce, hard 
struggle for want of the blessing of strength 
which human tenderness would have brought. 
Many a man owes his victoriousness in sorrow 
or in temptation to the gentleness which came to 
him in some helpful form from a thoughtful 
friend. We know not who of those we meet 
any day need the help which our gentleness 
could give. Life is not easy to most people. 
Its duties are hard. Its burdens are heavy. Its 
strain never relaxes. There is no truce in its 
battle. This world is not friendly to noble liv- 
ing. There are countless antagonisms. Heaven 
can be reached by any of us only by passing 
through serried lines of strong enmity. Human 
help is not always ready when it would be wel- 
comed. Too often men find indifference or op- 
position where they ought to find love. Life's 
rivalries and competitions are sharp and ofttimes 
deadly. One writes : — 

Our life is like a narrow raft 
Afloat upon the hungry sea, 
Whereon is hut a little space ; 
And each man, eager for a place, 
Doth thrust his brother in the sea. 
And so the sea is salt with tears, 
And so our life is worn with fears. 



A GENTLE HEART. 11 

We can never do amiss in showing gentleness. 
There is no day when it will be untimely ; there 
is no place where it will not find welcome. It 
will harm no one, and it may save some one from 
despair. The touch of a child on a woman's hand 
saved a life from self-destruction. 

It is interesting to think of the new era of love 
which Jesus opened. Of course there was gentle- 
ness in the world before he came. There was 
mother-love. There was friendship, deep, true, 
and tender. There were lovers who were bound 
together with most sacred ties. There were hearts 
even among heathen people in which there was 
gentleness almost beautiful enough for heaven. 
There were holy places where affection ministered 
with angel tenderness. 

Yet the world at large was full of cruelty. The 
rich oppressed the poor. The strong crushed the 
weak. Women were slaves and men were tyrants. 
There was no hand of love reached out to help 
the sick, the lame, the blind, the old, the de- 
formed, the insane, nor any to care for the widow, 
the orphan, the homeless. 

Then Jesus came ; and for three and thirty 
years he went about among men, doing kindly 
things. He had a gentle heart, and gentleness 



12 A GENTLE HEART. 

flowed out in his speech, lie spoke words which 
throbbed with tenderness. Mr. Longfellow said 
that that was no sermon to him, however elo- 
quent or learned or beautiful, in which he could 
not hear the heart-beat. There was never any 
uncertainty about the heart-beat in the words 
which fell from the lips of Jesus. They throbbed 
with sympathy and tenderness. 

The people knew always that Jesus was their 
friend. His life was full of rich helpfulness. 
No wrong or cruelty ever made him ungentle. 
He scattered kindness wherever he moved. 



" The best of men 
That e'er wore earth about him was a sufferer, 
A soft, meek, patient, humble, tranquil spirit, 
The first true gentleman that ever breathed." 



One day they nailed those gentle hands upon 
a cross. After that the people missed him, for 
he came no more to their homes. It was a sore 
loss to the poor and the sad, and there must have 
been grief in many a household. But while the 
personal ministry of Jesus was ended by his 
death, the influence of his life went on. He had 
set the world a new example of love. He had 



A GENTLE HEART. 13 

taught lessons of patience and meekness which 
no other teacher had ever given. He had im- 
parted new meaning to human affection. He 
had made love the law of his kingdom. 

As one might drop a handful of spices into the 
brackish sea, and therewith sweeten its waters, 
so these teachings of Jesus fell into the world's 
unloving, unkindly life, and at once began to 
change it into gentleness. Wherever the gospel 
has gone these sayings of the great Teacher have 
been carried, and have fallen into people's hearts, 
leaving there their blessings of gentleness. 

The influence of the death of Jesus also has 
wonderfully helped in teaching the great lesson 
of gentleness. It was love that died upon the 
cross. A heart broke that day on Calvary. A 
great sorrow always, for the time at least, softens 
hearts. A piece of crape on a door touches with 
at least momentary tenderness all who pass by. 
Loud laughter is subdued even in the most care- 
less who see the fluttering emblem which tells 
that there is sorrow within. A noble sacrifice, 
as when a life is given in the effort to help or 
to save others, always makes other hearts a little 
truer, a little braver, a little nobler in their im- 
pulses. 



14 .1 GENTLE HEART. 

" No life 
Can be pure in its purpose, and strong in its strife, 
And all life not be purer and stronger thereby." 

The influence of the death of Jesus on this 
world's life is immeasurable. The cross is like 
a great heart of love beating at the centre of 
the world, sending its pulsings of tenderness into 
all lands. The life of Christ beats in the hearts 
of his followers, and all avIio love him have some- 
thing of his gentleness. The love of Jesus 
kindles love in every believing heart. That is 
the lesson set for all of us in the New Testament. 
We are taught that we should love as Jesus loved, 
that we should be kind as he was kind, that his 
meekness, patience, thoughtfulness, selflessness, 
should be reproduced in us. 

There is need for the lesson of gentleness 
in homes. There love's sweetest flowers should 
bloom. There we should always carry our purest 
and best affections. No matter how heavy the 
burdens of the day have been, when we gather 
home at nightfall we should take only cheer and 
light. No one has any right to be ungentle in 
his own home. If he finds himself in such a 
mood he should go to his room till it has van- 
ished. 



A GENTLE HEART. 15 

The mother's life is not easy, however happy 
she may be. Her hours are long, and her load 
of care is never laid down. When one day's 
tasks are finished, and she seeks her pillow for 
rest, she knows that her eyes will open in the 
morning on another day full as the one that is 
gone. With children about her continually, tug- 
ging at her dress, climbing up on her knee, bring- 
ing their little hurts, their quarrels, their broken 
toys, their complaints, their thousand questions 
to her, and then with all the cares and toils that 
are hers, and with all the interruptions and annoy- 
ances of the busy days, it is no wonder if some- 
times the strain is almost more than she can 
eDdure in quiet patience. 

Nevertheless, we should all try to learn the 
lesson of gentleness in our homes. It is the 
lesson that is needed to make the home-happiness 
a little like heaven's. Home is meant to be a 
place to grow in. It is a school in which we 
should learn love in all its branches. It is not 
a place for selfishness or for self-indulgence. It 
should never be a place where a man can work 
off his ill-humor after trying to keep polite and 
courteous all day outside. It is not a place for 
the opening of doors of heart and lips to let ugly 



16 A GENTLE HEART. 

tempers fly out like ill-omened birds, and soar 

about at will. It is not a place where pet .pic 
can act as they feel, however unchristian their 
feelings may be, withdrawing the guards of Belf- 
control, relaxing all restraints, and letting their 
worse self have sway. Home is a school in 
which there are great life-lessons to be learned. 
It is a place of self-discipline. All friendship 
is discipline. We learn to give up our own way. 
— or if Ave do not we never can become a true 
friend. 

The great business of a true Christian life is 
to learn to love. Mr. Browning, in his "Death 
in the Desert," puts into the mouth of the dying 
St. John these words : — 

For life, with all it yields of joy or woe, 
And hope and fear — believe the aged friend — 
Is just our chance o' the prize of learning love, 
How love might be, hath been indeed, and is; 
And that we hold thenceforth to the uttermost 
Such prize despite the envy of the world. 

It is well that we get this truth clearly before 
us, that life with all its experiences is just our 
chance of learning love. The lesson is set for 
us, — "Thou shalt love ; " " As I have loved you. 
that ye also love one another." Our one thing is 



A GENTLE HEART. 17 

to master this lesson. We are not in this world 
to get rich, to gain power, to become learned in 
the arts and sciences, to build up a great business, 
or to do large things in any line. We are not 
here to get along in our daily work, in our shops, 
or schools, or homes, or on our farms. We are 
not here to preach the gospel, to comfort sorrow, 
to visit the sick, and perform deeds of charity. 
All of these, or any of these, may be among our 
duties, and they may fill our hands ; but in all 
our. occupations the real business of life, that 
which we are always to strive to do, the work 
which must go on in all our experiences, if we 
grasp life's true meaning at all, is to learn to 
love, and to grow loving in disposition and char- 
acter. 

We may learn the finest arts of life, — music, 
painting, sculpture, poetry, or may master the 
noblest sciences, or by means of reading, study, 
travel, and converse with refined people, may at- 
tain the best culture ; but if in all this we do 
not learn love, and become more gentle in spirit 
and act, we have missed the prize of living. 
If in the midst of all our duties, cares, trials, 
joys, sorrows, we are not day by day growing 
in sweetness, in gentleness, in patience, in meek- 



18 A GENTLE HEART. 

ness, in unselfishness, in thoughtfulness, and in 
all the branches of love, we are not learning 
the great lesson set for us by our Master in 
this school of life. 

We should be gentle above all to those we 
love the best. There is an inner circle of affec- 
tion to which each heart has a right without 
robbing others. While we are to be gentle unto 
all men, — never ungentle to any, — there are 
those to whom Ave owe special tenderness. Those 
within our own home belong to this sacred inner 
circle. Much is said of the importance of reli- 
gion in the home. A home without religion is 
dreary and unblest indeed. But we must make 
sure that our home religion is true and real, 
that it is of the spirit and life, and not merely 
in form. It must be love — love wrought out 
in thought, in word, in disposition, in act. It 
must show itself not only in patience, forbear- 
ance, and self-control, and in sweetness under 
provocation, but also in, all gentle thoughtful- 
nesses, and in little tender ways in all the family 
intercourse. 

ISTo amount of good religious teaching will ever 
make up for the lack of affectionateness in par- 
ents toward children. A gentleman said the 



A GENTLE HEART. 19 

other day, "My mother was a good woman. 
She insisted on her boys going to church and 
Sunday-school, and taught us to pray. But I 
do not remember that she ever kissed me." 
She was a woman of lofty principle, but cold, 
undemonstrative, repressed, wanting in tender- 
ness. 

It matters not how much Bible-reading and 
prayer and catechism-saying and godly teaching 
there may be in a home, if gentleness is lacking, 
that is lacking which most of all the young 
need in the life of their home. A child must 
have love. Love is to its life what sunshine 
is to plants and flowers. No young life can 
ever grow to its best in a home without gentle- 
ness. 

Yet there are parents who forget this, or fail 
to realize its importance. There are homes where 
the sceptre is iron, where affection is repressed, 
where a child is never kissed after baby days 
are passed. A woman of genius said that until 
she was eighteen she could not tell time by the 
clock. When she was twelve her father had 
tried to teach her how to know the hour; but 
she had failed to understand him, and feared 
to let him know she had not understood. Yet 



20 A GENTLE HEART. 

she said he had never in his life spoken to her 
a harsh word. On the other hand, however, he 
had never spoken an endearing word to her ; and 
his marble-like coldness had frozen her heart. 
After his death she wrote of him, "His heart 
was pure — but terrible. I think there was no 
other like it on the earth." 

I have a letter from a young girl of eighteen 
in another city — a stranger, of whose family I 
have no personal knowledge. The child writes 
to me, not to complain, but to ask counsel as 
to her own duty. Hers is a home where love 
finds no adequate expression in affectionateness. 
Both her parents are professing Christians, but 
evidently they have trained themselves to re- 
press whatever tenderness there may be in their 
nature. This young girl is hungry for home- 
love, and writes to ask if there is any way in 
which she can reach her parents' hearts to find 
the treasures of love which she believes are 
locked away there. " I know they love me," 
she writes. " They would give their lives for 
me. But my heart is breaking for expressions 
of that love." She is starving for love's daily 
food. 

It is to be feared that there are too many 



A GENTLE HEART. 21 

such homes, — Christian homes, with prayer and 
godly teaching, and with pure, consistent living, 
but with no daily bread of lovingness for hungry 
hearts. 

" The lonely heart that knows not love's 
Soft power, or friendship's ties, 
Is like yon withering flower that bows 
Its gentle head touched to the quick 
For that the genial sun hath hid its light, 
And, sighing, dies." 

An earnest plea is made for love's gentleness 
in homes. Nothing else will take its place. 
There may be fine furniture, rich carpets, costly 
pictures, a large library of excellent volumes, 
instruments of music, and all luxuries and adorn- 
ments ; and there may be religious forms, — a 
family altar, good instruction, and consistent 
Christian living ; but if gentleness is wanting 
in the family intercourse the lack is one which 
leaves an irreparable hurt in the lives of the 
children. 

It is one of the superstitions of an Indian 
tribe that they can send their love by a bird 
to their dead. When a maiden dies they im- 
prison a young bird until it first begins to sing. 
Then they load it with kisses and caresses, and 



22 A GENTLE HEART. 

set it at liberty over the grave of the maiden 
who has died. They believe that the bird will 
not fold its wings nor close its eyes until it 
has flown to the spirit-land, and delivered its 
precious burden of affection to the loved one 
there. It is not uncommon for twenty or thirty 
birds to be unloosed by different relatives and 
friends over the same grave. 

There are many people who when their loved 
ones die wish they could send thus by some bird- 
messenger words of love and tenderness which 
they have never spoken while their friends were 
close beside them. In too many homes gentle- 
ness is not manifested while the circle is un- 
broken ; and the hearts ache for the privilege of 
showing kindness, perhaps for the opportunity 
of unsaying words and undoing acts which caused 
pain. TVe would better learn the lesson of gen- 
tleness in time, and then fill our home with love 
while we may. It will not be very long until 
our chance of showing love shall have been used 
up. As George Klingle says, — 

They are such dear, familiar feet that go 
Along the path with ours — feet fast or slow, 
And trying to keep pace. If they mistake, 
And tread upon some flower we would take 



A GENTLE HEART. 23 

Upon our breast, or bruise some reed, 

Or crusb poor bope until it bleed, 

We may be mute, 

Not turning quickly to impute 

Grave fault ; for tbey and we 

Have such a little way to go — can be 

Together such a little while along the way, 

We will be patient while we may. 

But home is not the only place where we should 
be gentle. If the inner circle of life's holy place 
have claim on us for the best that our love can 
yield, the common walks and the wider circle 
also have claim for very true love. Our Master 
manifested himself to his own as he did not to 
the world; but the world, even his crudest ene- 
mies, never received anything of ungentleness 
from him. The heart's most sacred revealings 
are for the heart's chosen and trusted ones, as the 
secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; 
but we are to be gentle unto all men, as our 
Father sends his rain upon the just and upon the 
unjust. What we learn under home's roof, in 
the close fellowships of household life, we are to 
live out in our associations outside. As Moses' 
face shone when he came down among the people, 
after being with God in the mount, so our faces 
should cany the warmth and glow of tenderness 



24 A GENTLE HEART. 

from love's inner shrine out into the places of 
ordinary intercourse. What we learn of love's 
lesson in our home we should put into practice in 
our life in the world, in the midst of its strifes, 
rivalries, competitions, frictions, and manifold 
trials and testings. 

We must never forget that religion in its prac- 
tical outworking is love. Some people think reli- 
gion is orthodoxy of belief, — that he who has a 
good creed is religious. We must remember that 
the Pharisees had a good creed, were orthodox ; 
yet we have our Lord's testimony that their 
religion did not please God. It lacked love. It 
was self-righteous, unmerciful. Others think re- 
ligion consists in the punctilious observance of 
forms of worship. If they are always at church 
on Sundays and other church days, and if only 
they attend to all the ordinances, and follow all 
the rules, they are religious. Yet sometimes they 
are not easy people to live with. They are cen- 
sorious, dictatorial, judges of others, exacting, 
severe in mannner, caustic in speech. Let no 
one imagine that any degree of devotion to the 
church and diligence in observing ordinances will 
ever pass with God for true religion if one has 
not love, is not loving and gentle. 



A GENTLE HEART. 25 

Religion is love. A good creed is well ; but 
doctrines which do not become life of gentleness 
in character and disposition, in speech and in con- 
duct, are not fruitful doctrines. Church attend- 
ance and Sunday-keeping and ecclesiasticism are 
right and good ; but they are only means to an end, 
and the end is lovingness. The religious observ- 
ances which do not work in us better thoughts, 
diviner affections, sweeter life, are not profiting 
us. The final object of all Christian life and 
worship is to make us more like Christ, and 
Christ is love. For the whole law is fulfilled in 
one word, even in this, "Thou shalt love." 

There is a beautiful legend of the sweet-toned 
bell of the angels in heaven which softly rings 
at twilight. Its notes make a music supremely 
entrancing. But none can hear it save those 
only whose hearts are free from passion and clear 
of unlovingnesr and all sin. This is only a legend. 
No one on earth can hear the ringing of the bells 
of heaven. But there is a sweeter music which 
the lowliest may hear. Those who live the gentle 
life of patient, thoughtful, selfless love make a 
music whose strains are enrapturing. 

" The heart that feels the approval 
That comes from a kindly deed 



26 A GENTLE HEART. 

Knows well there's no sweeter music 
On which the spirit can feed. 

In sweet'ning the life of another, 
In relieving a brother's distress, 

The sold finds its highest advancement, 
And the noblest blessedness. 

That life is alone worth the living 
That lives for another's gain ; 

The life that comes after such living 
Is the rainbow after the rain. 

This spirit of human kindness 
Is the angel the soul most needs ; 

It sings its most wonderful paean, 

While the heart does its noblest deeds." 

" How can we learn this lesson of gentleness ? " 
some one asks almost in disheartenment. Many 
of us seem never to master it. We go on through 
life, enjoying the means of grace, and striving 
more or less earnestly to grow better. Yet our 
progress appears to be very slow. We desire 
to learn love's lesson, but it comes out very 
slowly in our life. 

We must note, first of all, that the lesson 
has to be learned. It does not come naturally, 
at least to most people. We find it hard to be 
gentle always and to all kinds of people. Per- 



A GENTLE HEART. 27 

haps we can be gentle on sunny days ; but when 
the east wind blows we grow fretful, and lose 
our sweetness. Or we can be gentle without 
much effort to some gentle-spirited people, while 
perhaps we are almost unbearably ungentle to 
others. We are gracious and sweet to those who 
are gracious to us ; but when people are rude to 
us, when they treat us unkindly, when they 
seem unworthy of our love, it is not so easy 
to be gentle to them. Yet that is the lesson 
which is everywhere taught in the Scriptures, 
and which the Master has set for us. 

It is a comfort to us to know that the lesson 
has to be learned, and does not come as a gift 
or something bestowed. We must learn to be 
gentle, just as artists learn to paint lovely pic- 
tures. They spend years and years under mas- 
ters, and in patient, toilsome effort, before they 
can paint pictures which at all realize the lovely 
visions of their soul. It is a still more difficult 
art to learn to reproduce visions of love in hu- 
man life, — to be always patient, gentle, kind. 
It gives us encouragement, as we are striving 
to get our lesson, to read the words in which 
St. Paul says that he had learned to be content 
wherever he was. It adds, too, to the measure 



28 A GENTLE HEART. 

of our encouragement to see from the chro- 
nology of the letter in which we find this bit 
of autobiography, that the apostle was well on 
toward the close of his life when he wrote so 
triumphantly of this attainment. We may infer 
that it was not easy for him to learn the lesson 
of contentment, and that he was quite an old 
man before he had mastered it. 

It is probably as hard to learn to be gentle 
always as it is to learn always to be contented. 
It will take time, and close, unwearying appli- 
cation. We must set ourselves resolutely to the 
task ; for the lesson is one that we must not fail 
to learn, unless we would fail in growing into 
Christliness. It is not a matter of small im- 
portance — something merely that is desirable 
but not essential. Gentleness is not a mere 
ornament of life, which one may have, or may 
not have, as one may, or may not, wear jewels 
or precious stones. It is not a mere frill of 
character, which adds to its beauty, but is not 
part of it. Gentleness is essential in every true 
Christian life. It is part of its very warp and 
woof. Not to be gentle is not to be a Christian. 

Therefore the lesson must be learned. The 
golden threads must be woven into the texture. 



A GENTLE HEART. 29 

Nothing less than the gentleness of Christ him- 
self must be accepted as the pattern after which 
we are to fashion our life and character. Then, 
every day some progress must be made toward 
the attainment of this ideal beauty. A sentence 
of Mr. Kuskin's comes in here : " See that no 
day passes in which you do not make yourself 
a somewhat better creature." The motto of an 
old artist was, " No day without a line." If we 
set before us the perfect standard, — the gentle- 
ness of our Master, — and then every day make 
some distinct advance, though it be but a line, 
toward the reproducing of this gentleness in our 
own life, we shall at last wear the shining beauty. 
We must never rest satisfied with any partial 
attainment. Just so far as we are still ungentle, 
rude to any one, even to a beggar, sharp in speech, 
haughty in bearing, unkind in any way to a hu- 
man being, the lesson is yet imperfectly learned, 
and we must continue our diligence. We must 
get control of our temper, and must master all 
our moods and feelings. We must train our- 
selves to check any faintest risings of irritation, 
turning it instantly into an impulse of tender- 
ness. We must school ourselves to be thought- 
ful, patient, charitable, and to desire always to 



30 A GENTLE HEART. 

do good. The way to acquire any grace of char- 
acter is to compel thought, word, and act in the 
one channel until the lovely quality has become 
a permanent part of our life. 

There is something else. We never can learn 
the lesson ourselves alone. To have gentleness 
in one's life one must have a gentle heart. Mere 
human gentleness is not enough. We need more 
than training and self-discipline. Our heart must 
be made over before it will yield the life of per- 
fect lovingness. It is full of self and pride and 
hatred and envy and all un divine qualities. The 
gentleness that the New Testament holds up to 
us as the standard of Christian living is too high 
for any mere human attainment. We need that 
God shall work in us to help us to produce the 
loveliness that is in the pattern. And this divine 
co- working is promised. " The fruit of the Spirit 
is . . . gentleness." The Holy Spirit Avill help 
us to learn the lesson, working in our heart and 
life the sweetness of love, the gentleness of dis- 
position, and the graciousness of manner, which 
will please God. 

There is a legend of a great artist. One day 
he had wrought long on his picture, but was dis- 
couraged, for he could not produce on his canvas 



A GENTLE HEART. 31 

the beauty of his soul's vision. He was weary 
too ; and sinking down on a stool by his easel, he 
fell asleep. While he slept an angel came ; and, 
taking the brushes which had dropped from the 
tired hands, he finished the picture in marvellous 
way. 

When we toil" and strive in the name of Christ 
to learn our lesson of gentleness, and yet grow 
disheartened and weary because we learn it so 
slowly, Christ himself comes, and puts on our 
canvas the touches of beauty which our own un- 
skilled hands cannot produce. 

" If only we strive to be pure and true, 

To each of us all there will come an hour 
When the tree of life shall burst into flower, 
And rain at our feet the glorious dower 
Of something grander than we ever knew. 

If only we strive to be pure and true, 
The foam of the sea will lower its crest, 
And the weary waves that we used to breast 
Will sob and turn, and sink slowly to rest 

With a tender calm all over and through." 



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